A former rugby league star has been banned from driving after he crashed into a car carrying a mother and her two daughters before fleeing the scene - to take a nap.

Keith Mason, 33, who played for Super League giants Castleford Tigers and Wakefield Wildcats, wrote off a Mini Cooper in the head-on smash with his 4x4 Nissan Qashqai in August last year.

A court was told that Mason got out of his car at the scene but made no attempt to exchange details with the female driver before walking away.

Police later traced Mason who said he thought he was on the correct side of the road but was dazed after the smash from hitting his head on the airbag in his car.

But as former sportsman Mason appeared at court to be sentenced, the court heard that his primary concern was to put the criminal charges behind him so he could pursue his dreams of making a name in the film industry.

Stacey Smith, for the probation service, said: “He expressed his concern that these matters might have on his future career. He tells me he wants to get into films.”

While his solicitor Charles Watson added: “He is very anxious to have these proceedings dealt with.

“He wants to move on with his life and he has various options open to him in the film and entertainment industry.”

The court heard that shortly before the collision, which happened in Birstall last August, an off-duty policewoman was driving to work when she saw Mason’s grey 4x4 behind her.

Mason’s car was accelerating and then having to break hard while veering from side to side.

The court heard the off-duty police officer got further up the road and decided to pull over to let Mason pass and drive off.

Five minutes later, mum-of-two Katie Galvin was driving her Mini Cooper with her two daughters, aged eight and 11, when Mason came around the corner at speed.

She was doing around 15mph due to full-width speed bumps when Mason came around the corner towards her with the wheels of his car leaving the road as he hit the bumps.

Mason seemed to accelerate towards in the Mini before colliding head-on with it, driving on for a few metres before getting out and walking towards the scene.

Mason later told police he was concussed after the accident and walked to his sister’s home and slept for five to six hours.